Nailing machine



March 28, 1961 T. CRITCHLEY 2,975,535 I NAILING MACHINE Filed Oct. 9, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 28, 1961 Filed Oct. 9, 1957 T. CRITCHLEY NAILING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. Tia/was (WM/y ate NAILING MACHINE Thomas Critchley, 24 Lake Ave, Ocean Grove, NJ. Filed Oct. 9, 1957, Ser. No. 689,231

3 (Ilaims. (Cl. 1-6) This invention relates to means for feeding nails to a nail driving machine.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a machine adjusted for face nailing a floor;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1;

v Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the nail feeding mechanism of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of a nail magazine, partly in section, and of an associated nail track in section;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section of a modified bottom for the magazine shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4;

Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively a section and a fragmentary side view of a modification of the nail magazine, showing the cells and their closures.

Referring to the drawings for a more detailed description, the numeral 15 indicates an elongate hollow square prism containing a reciprocating nail-driving rod 16, which is to be struck with a hammer, and constructed as shown in my Patent #2,768,376, the numeral 18 indicating a casing for mechanism for holding the driver in contact with a nail until it is fully driven and for re leasing the nail when fully driven, as also shown in the mentioned patent, and is secured to the prism 15. A handle 20 is pivotally connected at 21 to the prism 15, for convenient manipulation of the machine, as for holding the machine to the work, etc. The prism 15 and casing 18 are rigidly mounted on a base 23 and, together with base 23, are pivotally mounted at 26 on a second base 25, so that they may be swung from the inclined or blindnailing position to a vertical position for face nailing, as shown in Fig. l, or to an intermediate position. The base 25 is centrally open to allow base 23 to rest at the same level. To hold the driver and associated parts in the desired position, bolts 29 project from the sides of the base 23, one from each side thereof, and extend through arcuate slots 30, formed in upright plates 31 rising from the base 25, one plate on each side of base 23. A nut 33 is provided on the outer end of each bolt 29 and is tightened against plate 31.

In nailing flooring, the machine is sometimes placed on a beam, and when so used, lateral supporting means are employed, being shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as bars 35, which contact the sides of a beam. The bars 35 are removably secured to the base 23 by means of bolts 36 threaded into the sides of base 23, one on each side. Said bars are also detachably connected to the bolts 36, being secured by screws 37, and may be moved upwardly out of the way when not in use.

To use the machine when it is necessary to nail near a wall, the nail feed means should be short, as shown by the inverted channel track 40, which extends in front of the prism at right angles thereto and from which nails depend, being held therein by the inwardly turned flanges of the track.

To feed nails to the nail track 40, the magazine shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4 may be used.

One type of magazine or hopper 60 is shown in Figs.

1, 2 and 4. This magazine comprises an oblong narrow casing 61 having verticalpartitions 62 to provide nail compartments or cells. Each cell, in cross section, accommodates one nail, but the nails are stacked one on another, vertically, in each cell. Cells are open at the top for filling and at the bottom for exit of the nails. As shown in Fig. 1, a pusher 65 is provided behind the row of nails to push them into the prism 15 for nailing. The pusher is held tensionally by two coiled springs 66 (Figs. 1 and 3) removably secured to the ends of the pusher and to the prism 15, as at 67 (Fig. 1). The mentioned springs are each shown in two parts, so that they may be disconnected when only the short nail track 40 is used, the pusher then being secured to the parts of the coils attached to the prism. V V

The magazine is preferably preloaded before it is at tached to the machine, and to prevent the nails from coming out the upper end of the hopper while handling, a slidable cover 70 is provided. This has a series of square holes 72 adapted to register with the mentioned nail compartments of the hopper, to allow the hopper to be loaded. After loading, the cover is moved slightly, which puts the openings in the cover out of registration with the compartments and so holds the nails in.

The hopper 60 is held (Fig. 2) on an extension strip 76, which is secured to nail track 40 by a pin 77 passing through block 57 and tightened by screw 58, said strip 76 being longitudinally slotted wide enough to allow the shanks of nails to drop therethrough from the hopper but to be held by the heads.

To holdthe nails in the hopper, a solid strip 78 (Figs. 1 and 4) forms a slidable bottom for the hopper, this bottom resting on said extension strip 76. Strip 78 is adapted to be moved with the movement of pusher 65 as the latter is pulled by the mentioned coiled springs 66 as the nails are used. Strip 78 is therefore connected to pusher 65 by a threaded bolt 80, which depends from strip 78 and threadedly passes through pusher 65. A wing nut 81 on bolt 30 holds the pusher up in place. When the hopper 60 is being mounted, it is placed on strip 78 so that the latter closes the lower ends of all the cell compartments. Strip 78 is then pulled to the left to allow the series of lowest nails to fall from the hopper onto strip 76, which may be called a nail track, to be held by their heads thereon, as previously explained. As the strip 78 is pulled to the left, the pusher 65 is also pulled to the left until it is behind the nail that falls out of the nail compartment at the left end of the hopper. The spring-pulled pusher is then in position to push the whole series of nails into nail-driving position in prism 15. As the pusher moves to the right, the strip 78 does too, and as it moves, it closes the openings of the nail compartments to the left ofthe pusher to prevent nails from falling out. After strip 78 moves to the right side of the hopper, it is pulled back to the left, to allow another series of nails to fall from the hopper onto strip or nail track 76.

In Figs. 5, 6 and 7 I show a variation of the lower end of magazine 60, in which the strip 78, previously described, is dispensed with and a series of elements 62A are inserted transversely through the bottom portion of the magazine, one at the lower end of each nail compartment. These elements 62A are manually movable, to hold the nails in, or let them drop from, the magazine. As shown, the mentioned elements are cut out at their rear portions, so that, when they are pulled forward, the nails may drop through them, but when not pulled forward, prevent the nails from dropping out. Said elementsare prevented from falling out of their respective slots by retaining cross strips 623 at their rear ends.

What is claimed is:

1. In a nailing machine, means for feeding nails to the machine comprising a straight nail track from which amuse nails may be suspended, a nail magazine on the track comprising a linear series of vertical cells to hold nails stacked singly and endwise, a slidable element at the lower ,end of each cell adapted to hold the nails in the cells when pushed inwardly, said elements; being forked to allow descent of the nails from the cells onto said track when pulled outwardly, and means for pushing a series of nails on said track, said means comprising a bar transverse to and under said track and .a tensioned coiled spring connected to each end of said bar and attached to the machine.

2. The combination specified in claim 1, in which there is a retaining crosspiece at the inner end of each slidable element. 1

3. In a nailing machine, means for feeding nails to the machine comprising a straight nail track from whichvnails may be suspended, a nail magazineon the track comprising a linear series of vertical cells to hold nails stacked singly and endwise, slidable means for opening and closing the lower ends of said cells, means for pushing nails References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 879,995 Zahnter Feb. 25, 1908 1,074,800 King Oct. 7, 1913 1,178,619 Bingcr Apr. 11, 1916 1,390,060 River Sept. 6, 1921 2,058,034 Prochiette Oct. 20, 1936 2,169,433 Roy Aug. 15, 1939 2,768,376 Critchley Oct. 30, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 525,120 Canada May 15, 1956 

